Speed-etching machine



Sept. 4, 1962 w. MoLL 3,052,247

SPEED-ETCHING MACHINE Filed May lO, 1980 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Il |a1 l .\w v \wm m 6 3 W \H 9\\ o IIIIIIIININI Idlll. ,91, lfiJ I ,j nlllll. .T3 W k lll. l A lll) 2 2 P VN /w `2 w 00 11111 |w .r\/l\\ \E O F W+|\ V|/ ||i|\\ J3 Q g l .Illu 1 f ll I/ ll/.f Il lL r In? Sept. 4, 1962 w. MOLL 3,052,247

SPEED-ETCHING MACHINE Filed May l0, 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INV ENTOR.

5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May l0, 1960 Antin INVENTOR. W M

Sept. 4, 1962 w. MoLl.

SPEED-ETCHING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed May l0, 1960 Sept. 4, 1962 w. MoLL sPEEn-ETGHING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed May lO, 1960 INV ENTOR. wa

United hitates Paten-t @thee Patented Sept. fi, i962 3,952,247 SPEED-WTQHLNG MACHNE Werner Moll, llarallelst'r. 6, @lingen-Wald, Germany Filed May lll, wel), Ser. No. 23,ll Claims priority, application Germany lune l5, 1959 5 laims. (Cl. lmll) The present invention relates to a speed-etching machine.

Recently, new etching methods have been known which operate without gradual etching. These methods provide automatically for the protection of the etching sides during the etching operation. Etching emulsions are used in this instance. Aside from the faster working process, the so-called under-etching is avoided.

Such etching methods are performed on etching machines which receive the etching plate in a horizontal position and which make possible a spraying of this etching plate which, preferably, is subjected to an additional movement.

The spraying of the etching plate is brought about by, among other means, throwing up the etching emulsion disposed below the etching plate. lt has been proposed to use, for instance, tlush wheels for throwing up said etching emulsion. Stich flush wheels are, however, not favorable for the reason of servicing the same and for the reason of difficulties in manufacturing the same.

lt has also been proposed already to feed the etching liquid under pressure into tubes. The tubes have spraying perforations disposed opposite the etching plate. They are located above the level of the etching emulsion, so that the etching spray may approach freely the etching plate. The remainder of the etching emulsion dripping from the etching plate falls back into the receiving van or receptacle of the machine. rl`his spraying with a spray leads to unequal etching depth. lFor this reason it has also been proposed already to break substantially this spray and to obtain a greater evenness in the depth of the etching effect by movement of the spraying perforations.

Finally, it is also known to stir up the etching liquid immediately below its liquid level by means of a rake-like hoop and thus wet the etching plate. These devices require again mechanically moved parts. ln order to avoid such mechanically moved parts, it has also been proposed before to stir up the surface of the etching liquid by means of tubes disposed below the level of the etching liquid and fed with pressurized air. This method, however, requires the additional use of' pressurized air and still does not provide an extensively equal wetting of the etching faces, aside from the fact, that the application of pressurized air leads to a faster exhaust of the etching liquid.

it is, therefore, one object of the present invention to provide a speed-etching machine which brings about a wetting of the etching plate without any mechanically moved parts by an equal striking over the etching plate with suthciently intensive wave crests produced in the etching liquid.

lt is another object of the present invention to provide a speed-etching machine which comprises tube sections disposed parallel to each other as well as parallel to two oppositely disposed walls of a receptacleV and arranged with its perforations permitting a bundled liquid stream below the level of the etching emulsion for feeding such etching emulsion thereto under pressure.

Due to this arrangement, the liquid stream, emerging Under pressure from the perforations, creates wave crests On the surface of the etching emulsion disposed in the re- .Cepacla which crests perform a reciprocating movement 1H accordance with a predetermined rhythm and thereby mOve along the undersurface of the etching plate. The

pendulum movement of the wave crests is produced by the liquid ow falling into the receiving receptacle upon return from the etching plate. These liquid quantities start the wave movement of the etching emulsion in the receptacle. This wave movement on the other hand leads away from the etching emulsion spray emerging from the tubes. Upon the first start of the machine, the etching emulsion stream moves perpendicularly from each perforation. lt creates a liquid crest directly towards the etching plate. The emulsion dripping from the etching plate creates, however, in the remaining etching emulsion, standing in the receiving receptacle, a wave movement. By means of the latter, the etching emulsion stream emerging from each of the perforations is diverted within the rhythm of this wave movement. The wave movement is retained due to the continuous reflections on the side walls of the receptacle. Due to the parallel arrangement of the walls to the rows of perforations of the tube sections, a fast and linear reciprocating wave crest is formed above each of the rows of perforations. This leads to an absolutely equalized etching performance.

it is another object of the present invention to provide a speed-etching machine, wherein the tube sections are formed by a serpentine tube, the two ends of which are connected with the pressure side of a pump, leading to a particularly favorable embodiment of the present invention and bringing about an equalization of' the etching process.

The feeding of the etching emulsion from two ends of a closed serpentine tube has the effect that substantially at all places of the serpentine tube equal pressure prevails. The pressure losses are to a great extent compensated and equally distributed over the entire length of the tube sections, respectively. Substantially the same quantity of liquid emerges at about the same pressure from each of the perforations.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a speed-etching machine, wherein a favorable and stabile embodiment is given, particularly as to mounting the device, by mounting the serpentine on a grate in the receptacle by means of stop blocks entering the curved portions of the serpentine.

These retaining means, particularly having no highly projecting securing means disposed within the range of the tube sections, assure a reliable working process.

lt is also a further object ofthe present invention to provide a speed-etching machine, wherein the easily cleaning possibility of the serpentine is brought about by an arrangement according to which the tube sections are crosswise divided in relation to their parallel arrangement and enter into crossbores of a hatten rigidly secured in the receptacle with their open ends formed by the crosswise division, said hatten having a properly fitting seat at said cross-bores. Due to this formation, it is possible to remove certain tube sections from the speed-etching machine by removing the open ends from the cross-bores of the hatten, if necessary, upon prior loosening of a screw retaining the particular tube section. It is even not necessary to empty the receptacle containing the etching emulsion for such removal. Furthermore, such formation permits .the replacement of individual tube sections. In addition, an appreciable advantage is also given by such arrangement as to the manufacturing technique, and particularly since only individual tube sections may be manufactured independently from each other.

An advantageous embodiment is given in this direction, in accordance with the present invention, by the fact that the tube sections are formed as a serpentine tube which is divided along the median length and the ends being inserted from opposite sides into -corresponding cross-bores which project completely through the hatten.

With these and other objects in view, which will become apparent in the following detailed description, the present invention will be clearly understood in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE l is a front elevation of the etching machine, partly in section;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the etching machine;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation similar to that shown in FIG. 2, however, with `lifted cover of the etching machine;

FIG. z is a rear elevation of the etching machine;

FIG. 5 is a section along the `lines S--S of FIG. l;

FIG. 6 is a section along the lines 6 6 of FIG. l;

FIG. 7 is a section along the lines 7-7 of FIG. l;

FIG. 8 is a section through the receiving receptacle of the etching machine at an enlarged scale, showing schematically the condition of the etching emulsion at one point;

FIG. 9 is a section similar to that shown in FIG. S, yet at a later lmoment of the movement of the etching emulsion than that shown in FIG. 8;

FIG. l() is a front elevation of another embodiment of the etching machine, partly in section; and

F-IG. l1 is a section along the lines lll-II of FIG. l0.

Referring now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. l to 4, the etching machine comprises a lower frame l wherein the motor 2, coupled :with the centrifugal pump 3, is mounted. The control of the motor 2 is obtained -from a switching device d. The motor 2 operates in accordance with a program control and is non-gradually controllable, in order to adjustthe output ofthe centrifugal pump 3. The entrance opening of the centrifugal pump 3 is connected with a receiving receptacle 5 of the etching machine by means of the feeding conduit 6. Preferably, two entrances 6 and 6 are provided in the receiving receptacle 5. A heating coil 7 and a cooling coil 8 are disposed at the bottom of the receiving receptacle 5. Both are controlled by a common thermostat, in order to maintain the temperature of the etching emulsion 9 at a constant level. The thermostat is connected for this purpose with the temperature feeler III, which projects into the etching liquid 9.

A grate 11 is disposed above the serpentines 7 and 8. The serpentine tube d2 rests on the grate II. The serpentine tube 12 forms the tube sections I2 disposed parallel towards each other and interconnected individually by the curve sections 12". The stop blocks I3 sit rigidly in the curved portions I2 of the tube sections. The stop blocks I3 (FIG. 5) are secured to the grate II by means o-f screws I3. By such arrangement, the serpentine tube I2 is immovably secured. The two ends 14 and I4" of the serpent tine tube IZ are connected with the pressure side 15 ofthe centrifugal pump 3. This connection is brought about by a forked member I6 which in turn is in connection with the pressure side l5 of the centrifugal pump 3. The cross-section `of the tube of the forked portion 16 is larger than the cross-section of the tube of the serpentine tube I2, so that a pressure increase is achieved due to the reduction in the cross-sections at the points I6.

The receiving receptacle 5 may be closed by means of the cover plate I7. The cover plate I7 is hinged at its rear end to the receiving receptacle 5. A lever linkage IS, having a counter-weight I9, permits the opening of this cover plate I7 by raising the same. At the underside of the cover plate I7 is disposed the receiving plate Z@ for the etching plate ZI. The receiving plate 20 is coupled with a planet drive 22. Due to this arrangement, the receiving plate 2@ performs a rotary movement upon its median axis 2h', whereby this median axis 20' performs an additional circular movement.

The tube sections I2 are disposed perpendicularly to the back wall 5 of the receiving receptacle S and parallel to the side walls 5 of the receiving receptacle 5. They are equipped with perforations 23 directed towards the cover plate I7.

Referring now to the embodiment disclosed in FIGS.

l0 and ll which follows substantially the embodiment described above, the grate Il carries the hatten 26. The individual, straight tube sections I2 which are disposed parallel to each other, are divided along their center. The ends 27 formed by the cross division enter into fitting seats l rovided in cross-bores 28 of the batten 26 disposed on the grate Il., and in particular on oppositely disposed points, so that a co-axial arrangement is achieved.

The width of the batteri 26 is narrower than the distance between two adjacent perforations Z3, so that the continuous arrangement of the perforations 23 and the completely equalized working operation of the machine is not interfered with by the arrangement of the batten 26.

The present invention operates in the following manner:

The receptacle S is lilled with the etching emulsion to a level that the tube sections I2 are disposed below the level 9 of the etching emulsion. In view of the arrangement of the serpentine on the grate Il disposed close to the bottom of the receiving receptacle, this condition is always present upon normal filling of the receiving receptacle 5.

Upon starting the motor 2, the pump 3 feeds etching emulsion 9 from both ends d4 and Id to the serpentine tube I2 under pressure by means of the feeding pipe 6. The streams 2d of the etching emulsion emerge then from the perforations 23. The streams 24 of the etching emulsion are at first directed perpendicularly in upward direction for a short time due to such arrangement. They produce the wave crests Z5 in the etching emulsion 9, which wave crests 2S hit the etching plate ZI. Thus, no point-shaped stream is directed towards the etching plate The etching emulsion 9 reilected and dripping oif the etching plate 21 causes a wave movement to the entire etching emulsion 9. The wave movement brings about a diversion of the stream 24 of the etching emulsion. Such diverting position is shown schematically in FIG. 8. The motion of the bath 9 of the etching emulsion changes the direction of the stream 2d of the etching emulsion from the direction indicated in FIG. 8, so that the stream swings into the position shown schematically in FIG. 9. Due to the series arrangement of the individual perforations 23, each series being disposed parallel to the next series, a pendulum move-ment of wave crests 2S of the etching emulsion 9 is created. The pendulum movement takes place regularly in the direction of the double arrow x in FIG. 8. Due to the parallel position of each of the series of perforations 23 to the two oppositely disposed side walls S of the receiving receptacle 5, an extremely equalized movement is obtained within a short time, which movement is not disturbed by diiferent reiiections on the side walls 5".

The wave crests 25 of the etching emulsion 9 strike over the etching plate ZI equally and in rhythmic steps. An absolutely equally deep etching eect is achieved in connection with the additional rotation of the etching plate ZI. The fact that no stream bundle is directed towards the etching plate ZI, and since besides that a continuously changing hitting angle will be encountered, assures that the emulsion film formed for the protection of the sides of the etching plate is not disturbed.

If one or a plurality of perforations 23 is clogged up, or if dirt has accumulated inside of the serpentine tubes I2, the particular tube portion may be removed in accordance wtih the embodiment disclosed in FIGS. l0 and ll upon loosening of the screw I3 by pulling out axially the end 27 of the particular tube portion from the cross-bores 23 of the batten 26. The embodiment disclosed in FIGS. 10 and ll is, therefore, particularly suitable for larger machines wherein the complete removal of the correspondingly long serpentine tube would cause appreciabie difliculties.

While I have disclosed several embodiments of the present invention, it is to be understood that these embodiments are given by example only and not in a limiting sense, the scope of the present invention being determined by the objects and the claims.

I claim:

1. A speed-etching machine comprising means for receiving a plate in horizontal position, a receptacle adapted to receive an etchant and having at least two parallel, oppositely disposed walls and receiving removably said plate receiving means above and close to the etchant level in said receptacle, a plurality of tubes disposed below said plate receiving means, and means for securing said tubes to said receptacle, said tubes having straight sections disposed parallel to each other and to said Walls of said receptacle .and curved sections connecting each pair of adjacent tubes, and said straight sections of said tubes having a plurality of spraying perforations, means for feeding said etchant from said receptacle into said tube sections under pressure, and said spraying perforations of said tube sections being disposed below the level 0f said etchant.

2. The speed-etching machine, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said pressure feeding means for said etchant comprises a pump, said tubes consist of a serpentine tube having two ends, and means connecting each of said ends with said pump.

3. The speed-etching machine, as set forth in claim 2, wherein said tube securing means comprises a grate, disposed inside of said receptacle, and a stop block disposed in each curved portion of said serpentine tube and secured to said grate, thereby retaining said serpentine tube in a predetermined position relative to said grate.

4. The speed-etching machine, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said tube securing means comprises a batten disposed inside of and secured to said receptacle, and said tubes are divided across said sections along the axis of said batteri and form open ends entering into crosswise disposed bores to form fitting seats of said hatten.

5. The speed-etching machine, .as set forth in claim 4, wherein corresponding bores of said batten are arranged coaxially relative to each other.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 843,423 Weymar Feb. 5, 7 920,766 Levy May 4, 1909 1,016,487 Freer Feb. 6, 1912 

